Fashion design students are popping tags with a thrift store

Dozens of racks are set up and clothes are freshly pressed as Johnson’s fashion designers hang them up in preparation for the “Jag Exchange.” This unique experience offered here on campus for the first time, creates a cool atmosphere in which the school has its own “thrift shop”

“So my level three fashion students, practicum, have to have so much work experience and since they can really go to a place of employment to learn about all these things in the fashion industry. We needed something on campus that they could kind of learn about cash registers, and merchandising, and stuff like that, so we decided to do a store, here, then they can get that kind of experience,” fashion design teacher Mandy Elliott said.

In opening a store to the school, fashion design students are earning skills that they will need to apply when working in the fashion industry. The store will be accepting clothes before school from now until early December.

“Collection time in going to be now until December 18, and it will be before school, and you can bring to after school i just dont think people are going to want to bring bags of clothes and carry them around all day so that’s why it’s before school but you could really bring it anytime. The store is going to have its grand opening January 14 thought the 18 that week, and so it will be open during all three lunches and it will be in this classroom F309 AS well,” Elliott said.

The store has set up a system where one must give some to get some, by using donated items as a form of currency the Jag thrift store will have many different varieties of clothing.

“They bring it to F309 and it will be before school about 8:20 and Im going to have it open all the month of December, however I might not be here for faculty meeting and different things so there will be something on the outside of the door where they [like] mark their bag and there will be a contract, I’ll call them in later, but there will be a contract that they have to sign saying that they understand their donating their clothes, there not going to get their clothes back and so it’s that whole process.” Elliot said. “

Students can get “Jag Bucks” to purchase clothing by donating an item of theirs.

“Once we kind of evaluate, we’ll give them ‘Jag Buck’ is what we’re calling them, so it’s kind of like monopoly money, where is they brought in 25 dollars worth of stuff that we determined. Then when the store opens they have a vouture where they can come and use that to buy whatever merchandise,” Elliott said.

No money will be accepted as a currency to get clothes, you can only use the Jag Bucks you may receive by donating clothes. But students are welcome to look around the store.

“It’s just like an exchange – there’s no buying, so were not accepting any money the only way you can purchase something with your ‘Jag Bucks’ voucher is if you donate something. So you can’t come and if you didn’t donate, get something. You can come and look but you’re not going to be able to get something,” Elliott said.

Anything can be donated, as long as it is still usable and can be worn properly.

“So it has to be useable, so it can’t have any stains or holes unless that’s part of the design, and then it has to have functioning buttons and zippers and things like that,” Elliot said.

Certain things can not be accepted, such as swimsuits and hair accessories.

“We are accepting any kind of clothing except for undergarments, no gloves, no hair accessories or anything like that (because you know lice), no makeup, nothing sith profanity that school inappropriate, no bathing suits. But you can bring in pants, shirts shoes, jewelry, purses, backpacks, zipper pouches, sunglasses, all kind of stuff. It could be Jag items, like if you don’t wear the Jag t-shirt anymore, maybe somebody else doesn’t have one and would really want one,” Elliot said.